Waiver Wire Targets Week 2 2017

By Armando Marsal

Hopefully you survived this wild Week 1. It started with a stellar performance by Alex Smith who led the Chiefs to an upset win over the Patriots. Followed by a season-ending injury to Allen Robinson, serious injuries to Danny Woodhead and David Johnson, and other notable players suffering injuries. In addition, several of notable players had below average performances, while we also had some surprise performances. That being said, as we move on to Week 2, below is a list of some players you should be looking to add off of waivers this week.

Quarterback

Alex Smith – Chiefs: Smith has always been what I consider to be a vanilla quarterback, but this season he has some nice weapons which should increase his upside, sort of like what we saw in the season opener. While I do not trust him on a week-to-week basis, I certainly think he is a viable streaming option in favorable matchups. He can also be considered an asset in two-QB and/or super flex leagues for fantasy owners who could use some help at those positions. He gets a decent matchup this week against the Eagles who allowed 1.6 passing touchdowns per game last year, as well as 239.5 passing yards per game.

Running Back

Tarik Cohen – Bears: One of this week’s biggest surprises was Cohen who finished with 113 total yards and a touchdown, while catching 8-of-11 targets. He played in 42 percent of the Bears snaps, while receiving 30 percent of the targets. With Kevin White on the shelf for some time (possibly the season), Cohen could see a boost in his role in the passing game. He displayed his ability to be an all-around back and is worth the top overall waiver wire selection this week.

Javorius Allen – Ravens: Danny Woodhead is expected to miss significant time with a hamstring injury, which should create plenty of opportunity for Allen see a significant role in the Raven’s backfield. Despite being behind fellow teammate Terrance West, Allen played more snaps in Week 1.

Kerwynn Williams – Cardinals: David Johnson suffered a wrist injury that will require surgery and force him to miss 2-3 months. This opens the door for Williams to receive plenty of works in this backfield. He is expected to get the start, but this will likely end up being a committee. That being said, he should still be added in all formats at this time.

Wide Receiver

Kenny Golladay – Lions: If you followed the preseason, you saw how much steam the Golladay train got and that carried over into the first week of the season. He kicked off the season, with four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. He remains the No. 3 wideout in this offense so it is unlikely we see this on a consistent basis, but this type of talent should not be on the waivers.

Allen Hurns – Jaguars: Allen Robinson will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury and Hurns will likely step into the No. 1 wide receiver duties. He received 30 percent of the Jaguars targets in Week 1 and played in 79 percent of the offensive snaps.

Nelson Agholor – Eagles: Yeah, you are reading this right, I am going to take a shot on Agholor off the waivers. Despite his bust label since entering the league, I like what I saw Week 1. He received eight targets which was good for 21 percent of the team’s targets and played in 62 percent of the offensive snaps, while coming down with six receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. Carson Wentz looked his way often and that can become a thing moving forward.

Corey Coleman – Brown: With DeShone Kizer under center, Coleman could be in for some big games. Kizer has a big arm and Coleman possesses big play ability, which is a match made in heaven. Coleman played in 80 percent of the snaps and accounted for 21 percent of the targets in Week 1 for the Browns.

Tight End

Jason Witten – Cowboys: I remember in fantasy drafts seeing Witten drop to the late rounds and at times left undrafted. Week 1 proved to fantasy owners that this seemingly ageless tight end still has gas left in the tank. In the season opener he caught seven receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. While he does not offer the upside he once did, he does provide some consistency in a volatile tight end position. If he is still available in your league, go get him!